Beauty' and the Beast?
by WeWriteTheTruth
Summary: Tino certainly didn't want to be called beautiful.  SuFin
1. Chapter 1

A large, picturesque town by the name of Kollola rested amidst the peaks of two snowy mountains. It was almost always sunny, but cold. Snow carpeted the ground thickly for the majority of the year. Villages were perched precariously on both of the high peaks, so the town came to be known as more of a midway point or where people came to trade and sell. Kollola was the sole provider for both the small villages, the next town Oja was at least three day's journey away. Merchants often had to take the long, sometimes dangerous journey back and forth between town and village.

Usko Väinämöinen was no different from the others. He was getting along in age, his sandy blonde hair beginning to recede at the temples and fade in color altogether. Walking began to take him more time as he developed a slight limp. He took the trek up the mountain paths and to the villages at least once a week, leaving his only son Tino at home by himself. Originally, Usko had thought Tino would take up the family trade when he was born and become a merchant. The Väinämöinen family was well-known in both villages for their honesty, kindness, and reliability.

There was just one small problem. Tino wasn't really built for that kind of work. The Finn was a small, petite boy – not taller than most of the girls in town. His hair was the same shade of his father's, or rather.. the shade it used to be. His lips were a shade of soft pink, skin a pale ivory, but the strangest feature about him was his eyes. They were a bright shade of violet and seemed to almost sparkle. Tino was well-known by the townspeople, and some had actually given him the nickname 'Little Beauty'. Though, they soon learned not to call him that to his face – Tino seemed to think he was pretty manly. Not 'beautiful' or anything feminine like that! The boy was even occasionally mistaken as a girl when he was younger, much to his chagrin. He was extremely well-tempered and kind, loving nothing more than to borrow another book from the town library – even if he had read it a dozen times. Children in the town were always clamoring for him to tell yet another story.

Usko and Tino were quite well off. They lived in one of the largest houses in town, and it was decorated modestly. This was mainly because of the small amount of ships Usko commanded. They brought goods from other countries, lands, and towns back to the large seaport at the edge of Oja. Usko would make the journey there once a month to pick up his new trade – which could include anything from clothes to food.

"Tino?" Usko spoke up, resting against the carved oak frame of the boy's door. Night was beginning to fall, requiring the house to be lit purely by candles.

"Yes, Father?" Tino looked up from a worn book, one he had read many times. He smiled.

"I'll be leaving tomorrow morning for Oja." the man laughed, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "I'm sure you know the drill by now."

"Of course I do! You should be back sometime next week." the Finn answered, shutting the novel. "Just remember to dress warm."

"Don't I always?"

".. Yeah." he let out a small chuckle and rubbed the back of his head. "I was just thinking that it'll probably snow."

"You know me, Tino. I'm tough." Usko let out a stage-growl and pretended to flex, causing Tino to giggle. "Besides, the load I'm picking up this time should be smaller."

"Alright." Tino finally replied with a small nod and a smile, cracking his book back open.

"Do you want me to bring you anything back?" Usko questioned, crossing his arms.

The Finn thought for a moment before opening his mouth slowly to speak, ".. A rose." he finally decided. "We don't have any in Kollola."

His father let out a low chuckle, "Are you sure? Think of all the things I could buy you in Oja.."

"A rose is fine." Tino assured him, his smile widening. "Anything else I need is already here."

The next day came quickly, but Tino didn't really think much of it. His father had made this trip dozens.. maybe even _hundreds _of times. He would come back in one piece like he always did. Well... except for that one time he lost a finger. But that didn't count.

Dawn was barely breaking, the sun barely peeking over the line of clouds casting a soft, yellow glow. Usko had already left by the time the sun had fully rose. He set out on his carriage pulled by two black horses which felt like they were nearly as old as he was. He knew it was time to 'replace' them, but somewhere in his heart he just couldn't let the old beasts go. They had been with him since he had first began traveling to Oja.

The journey went nearly as it always did. The jingling of the horse's bells becoming a familiar tune as he rode along. Large flakes of snow were beginning to fall, appearing almost like downy feathers falling from the skies. The cold bit and nipped at Usko's skin, but he had long since grown used to it. _I hope this snow clears up soon. I might have trouble getting back if it gets too thick._

He managed to get to the town a day earlier than he previously expected, and was greeted by some of his usual customers he sold to along the way back to Kollola. He picked up the small bit of cargo which consisted of cheeses, fruits, and breads and packed it tightly into the body of the carriage. Usko had nearly forgotten Tino's request, and ran quickly to the nearest flower shop he could find.

"I'm sorry." the shopkeeper had told him reluctantly upon his request. "We're all out."

Usko began the trip home with a bright outlook despite that. He knew some of the villages on the mountain occasionally grew roses. Perhaps he could get one there on his next trip. Besides, one of the crates that was delivered contained spices – something that a lot of the townsfolk would do anything to get their hands on. His attitude was short-lived, however. During the entire time he had spent in Oja, snow had continued to be dumped. Heavier and heavier. The horses were somehow managing to traverse the white powder, but the real problem is what he _couldn't _see. Snow blanketed everything – covering up the usual path he followed. It even obscured all the landmarks and most of the pines. He couldn't tell which way to go let alone remember which way he came.

Usko was utterly lost. And the blizzard didn't seem to be stopping anytime soon. His eyes scanned hopelessly for something that would point him towards home. Towards Kollola.

Through the snow, a heavy wrought iron gate appeared up ahead. He couldn't remember ever seeing anything like this on any of the trips he had taken. But gates usually meant there was something worth protecting – and with his fingers growing stiff and numb, he knew he needed to take shelter soon. Usko urged the ebony horses onwards, towards the metal. He slid from his perch on the carriage and landed with a soft crunch in the snow. _I wonder if the gate's unlocked? Doubtful, but it's a possibility.._

The man grew closer with some difficulty as the wind whipped unforgivably at him. He forced his stiff limbs upwards and held his breath as he pressed against the bars of the gate. A loud, eerily screeching sounded as the doors slowly creaked open.

"Thank heavens.." Usko murmured reverently to himself as he pushed the gate fully open.

The merchant took the reins of the horses and led them down the cobblestone pathway. As they came closer, a great, magnificent palace appeared. It looked almost medieval, with large spires and intimidating stone gargoyles perched amongst the building. Surprisingly enough, there wasn't a single soul to be seen. _Surely, _he thought. _There must be someone who lives here. Who would abandon a building like this?_

Even the stables were completely empty, and judging by the stale smell, they had been for a long time. At least the horses would keep warm if he left them here. He unhooked them from the carriage and led them inside the building – to which they seemed extremely thankful. Or at least, he thought they did.

Usko began heading up towards the large castle. The front doors were massive and adorned with two metal lion heads which served as knockers. They were at least ten feet in the air, however. What kind of person would be able to reach them? What surprised Usko most, however, was the fact that the two doors were ajar. He hesitantly pushed one of them open and peered inside, "Hello?"

His voice merely echoed spookily in response. He crept inside slowly and repeated, "Hello? Is there anyone here?"

No answer.

A large fire crackled warmly and almost.. friendly in the hearth as he entered the manor. Being soaked to the bone, he was eager to dry off. Hopefully if someone did live here, they wouldn't mind.

Usko waited a considerable time beside the fireplace, hoping that he could discover who the master of the house was. The clock stuck eleven, and then twelve. Finally, fatigue and.. admittedly, curiosity overwhelmed him. He padded down one of the hallways and looked into the first room he saw. It was lavishly decorated and the bed seemed to be practically screaming at him to sleep in it. He peeled off his damp clothing and climbed into bed without another complaint.

It wasn't until around ten in the morning that he woke up, feeling entirely rested. Usko bent to retrieve his discarded clothing, but much to his astonishment found them replaced with a new, fancy suit. Maybe this place was enchanted? He had never believed in anything like that.. but it seemed as good an explanation as any.

After pulling them on he glanced out the window to see if the blizzard had lightened up at all. Instead of snow, he spotted bright, red flowers. _Roses. _Without a second glance he hurried outside and began plucking blossoms from the arbor that held them.

_Tino asked for _one rose. _Imagine what he'll do when I come home with a whole carriage full of them! _He smiled warmly to himself at the thought and continued to collect them.

When suddenly, someone.. no, some_thing_ had grabbed his wrist in a bone-cracking grasp. Usko's eyes widened in fear and he found himself face-to-face with the ugliest and most terrifying thing he had ever seen.

It was a large beast covered in thick fur. It had long, sharp fangs and a pair of horns that Usko was sure could run him through in a heartbeat.

Finally, the beast spoke in a heavy accent – one that seemed of Swedish decent. ".. Ungr'tef'l. I let y' stay here n'd y' take m' roses?" it growled, baring its cruel fangs. "Y' sh'ld die."

"I-I'm sorry..!" the merchant stammered weakly. "I.. I didn't k-know they were s-so important to you.. I j-just wanted to gather some f-for my son."

The beast regarded him sternly, his ice blue eyes growing even colder. "Y' h've a son?"

"Y-yes..! His name is T-Tino and he's-"

"I'll p'rdon you.. but y'r son must c'me die in y'r place."

__


	2. Chapter 2

Usko instantly blanched, what little color he had draining completely from his skin. He attempted to jerk his wrist from the tight hold it was in, but let out a pained yelp. The beast had tightened his vice grip and caused the man's bones to grind against each other.

"W-what do you want with Tino..?" Usko's eyes were widened fearfully and he seemed to almost shrink.

The beast's eyes narrowed cruelly and he snorted in the merchant's face. Ignoring the man's question, he spoke in a low growl. ".. Bring 'im t' m' 'nd I won't kill y'."

_If I can just get out of here, I'll be fine. I'll be safe once I reach the town. _Usko told himself desperately in his mind. "A-alright..! Anything!" he spoke quickly, hoping the pressure on his wrist would lessen as soon as possible.

The monster surveyed him carefully for a moment, as if he could tell if Usko was telling the truth just by looking into his eyes. ".. D'n't try 'nything funny.." he grunted, letting the man's wrist go. "Send 'im b' t'morrow. Or else." The beast's eyes resembled freezing shards of ice – he didn't want to be tested.

The Finn collapsed to the ground with a gasp, rubbing his raw wrist. He couldn't even speak. What in the world was he supposed to tell Tino? They couldn't just suddenly move away from Kollola. This was their livelihood. Tino and Usko had lived with the same routine for around twenty years. The man nodded meekly, skidding on the slick snow and ice as he got to his feet. He stumbled frantically off back towards the horses and carriage without another word.

Usko earnestly wished the journey home took longer, but it was shorter than ever before – almost like something was urging him onwards. Making the carriage travel faster than it ever had. He cradled his wounded wrist in his lap, dark purple splotches beginning to spread across the skin. Great.. well, that would certainly make carrying things much harder.

The ringing bells of the horses and clops of their hooves against the pavement was known well by the townspeople of Kollola – especially Tino. The Finn could always hear them coming from a mile away. He rushed out of his room, down the stairs, out the front door, and ran all the way down the street, "Dad! You're home!" he cried happily, a bit breathless.

His father forced a weak smile and dismounted from the carriage. Unfortunately, his eyes couldn't hide the fear and utter turmoil he was feeling inside.

Tino gave him a quick, tight hug and pulled back. Immediately, his grin slackened. ".. What's wrong? You took a bit longer than usual.. everyone was worried." By everyone, he really meant just him.

"I'll.. talk to you once we get home." Usko nodded slightly, forcing his brittle smile to widen. "Don't worry." But it was impossible not to.

The Finn looked at him quizzically but nodded slowly. He took the reins of the horses in his hands and began to lead them back to the stable. "C'mon.." he told the beasts. "I bet you're exhausted." He patted their manes and smiled softly, though his thoughts were elsewhere. Usko was all smiles, just happy to be home, even if he had lost some of his cargo or other. Something was _really _bugging his father – and Tino was determined to figure it out.

Dinner proved to be even more awkward – Tino stuck at one end of the table and his father at the other. The only sounds that broke the silence was the clattering of silverware against plates. Usko didn't seem to have much of an appetite at all, as he pushed his food from one side of the plate then back to the other.

".. Dad?" the younger Finn finally spoke up, breaking the long silence.

Usko visibly jumped but let out a relieved sigh when he realized it was just Tino speaking to him. "Yes?"

"What really happened to your wrist?" he questioned. Usko opened his mouth to interject but his son was having none of that. "I know you tried to hide it from me. Just tell me what happened."

His father set down his fork carefully, obviously taking his time. "Just hurt it a bit." he spoke through his teeth.

"Well obviously." Tino snorted and rolled his violet eyes impatiently. "But I want to know _how_."

Usko paled. "I.. I just ran into someone. A misunderstanding."

The Finn's eyes narrowed as he raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Who, Dad?"

"Nobod-"

"Just tell me, please."

The merchant's resolve was broken. ".. There's a large.. _huge_ castle near town. About a mile or so down the road. Did you know that?"

Tino's gaze grew puzzled and he shook his head. "No. … Why?"

"Somebody lives there." Usko swallowed nervously. "A beast.. h-he's a _monster_, Tino."

"And he's the one who did that you?" the Finn tipped his head towards his father's wrist.

"... I.. I was picking some of the roses outside the window." his voice was growing higher in pitch. "I didn't know, but- they were important to him, for some reason. He got angry. Told me I should die for picking them."

Tino's amethyst eyes widened in surprise. "What happened then?" he asked hurriedly. "How are you here? Alive?"

The merchant's hands quivered slightly. "I told him I had a son. He said.. h-he said you could die in my place. I had to decide by tomorrow."

".. Oh." Tino's brow furrowed and he crossed his arms. His gaze fell onto the tablecloth, "It's alright, I'll go in your place." He let out a forced laugh, "We both know I wasn't going to inherit the family trade."

"What? No, Tino. You're young and-"

"You're old. I get it. But it's alright.. maybe I can convince the 'beast' to change his mind." he smiled lightly.

"I won't let you." Usko spoke firmly, his hand in a tight fist on the table.

"But Dad-!"

"It's final." the merchant shook his head and got to his feet, causing the legs of the chair to screech as they slid across the wood floor. He left the room and headed upstairs. "I'll talk to you in the morning."

Tino's violet eyes slid shut as he let out a sigh. His life was his business, wasn't it? If he wanted to spend it by sacrificing himself for somebody else he cared about, then he really didn't mind. He had lived a good enough life.

_Dad didn't even think of me trying to leave. _A voice in his head whispered. He blinked before standing and fetching a cloak from the hook beside the door. He knew Usko would be furious, but he was moving numbly. Rashly.

Tino slowly turned the knob of the front door, wincing when it creaked. He crept outside, shivering slightly when the cold air hit him. He had never gotten quite used to that. He made his footsteps as light as possible, hoping the crunching of the snow wouldn't give him away as he headed towards the stable.

The Finn snatched the reins of the nearest horse and shushed it quietly. "Don't worry.. it's just me." he whispered as he climbed carefully onto its back. He always felt bad for doing this, but he dug his heels sharply into the horse's sides – causing the animal to break into a gallop. _Dad said the castle was about a mile away. It shouldn't be hard to spot it.. hopefully._

His fears of being caught vanished once he had passed the town's limits and began to move down the road. It was dark, but the moonlight reflected off the snow just enough that Tino was able to see. It was almost eerie the way the light was refracted off of the cold crystals. Surreal. Reluctantly, he urged the horse onwards.

The path seemed normal enough as he glanced down it. The same trees, the same rocks. Oh! A rabbit. The same metal gate- hold on. Metal gate? Tino pulled at the reins, forcing the horse to come to a halt. He slid off the animal and approached it curiously. Surely this had to be what his father was talking about. The Finn turned the horse back towards town and slapped it on the rump, forcing it to break into a run back towards Kollola. Someone would see the horse and know who it belonged to.

Tino pushed open the gate hesitantly, letting out a soft squeak when it made a shrill creak. He drew the clock around himself, almost protectively. But it wouldn't be that much of a help in the end. The boy shuffled down the path, eyes widening in shock when the castle loomed up ahead through the trees.

It was _massive_. And also terrifying. Who would ever want to live in a place like this. He shivered and walked right up to the large front door. It was so large, in fact, that four Tino's would have to be stacked on top of each other if they wanted to be able to touch the top of it. He rapped on the worn wood timidly. "H-hello..?"

Silence.

He dared to step inside, and meant to left the door open behind him as means of escape. But it shut all by itself. "Hello?" he repeated, forcing his voice to stay calm. "My father was here.. I've come to take his place."

A low growl sounded moments later, and Tino could swear he heard something brushing the walls. But it was so dark he could barely see anything. The only light was the lit candles on either side of the door, illuminating the Finn. "Hello?" he said fearfully. "Who's there?"

The beast was crouched in the darkest corner of the room, his ice blue eyes locked on the boy in front of him. He was.. he was the most beautiful thing he had ever laid eyes on. Tino's skin was pale ivory, untouched and unblemished. All thoughts of killing completely fled at first glance. He tried desperately to force his voice to make speech that didn't sound like a growl. He failed, "'m th' master of th's house.."

The raspy growl echoed around the room, causing the Finn to jump. He took a quick step backwards. "You're going to kill me, right?" he challenged, standing as tall as he possibly could.

For once, the beast was lost for words. 


	3. Chapter 3

Tino's hands were clenched into tense, white-knuckle fists. He could somehow feel trembling, but somehow, he felt like he wasn't as scared as he should have been with the entire situation. Sure, there was what sounded like some hulking mass of fur and.. razor sharp teeth lurking in the dark, looming shadows in front of him. But... he had lived a good enough life. Not great by any means, but okay. He was never going to go into the merchant business. And he _knew _Usko understood that as well as he did.

A minute slowly trickled by with no noise except the deep, low breaths of the monster.

Another.

Eventually, the Finn absolutely couldn't take the suspense any longer. He didn't want to have to see the claws swiping towards him, but the eerie silence was utterly unbearable. He couldn't even remember closing his eyes in the first place, but he allowed his long blonde lashes to flutter open, revealing unsure amethyst orbs. "... Well?" Tino's voice was surprising – it came out strained and high-pitched. He swallowed, even though his mouth had already gone bone dry.

When only silence answered him, Tino slowly began to grow impatient. Fiery indignation began to bubble and churn oddly in his stomach. Was he really just expected to stand here second by agonizing second waiting for the final blow that would send him soaring into oblivion? It was probably the stupidest thing in the world he could have done, but he took a daring step towards the inky black corner where the growls had first sounded.

Only shuffling answered him – fur and claws grating against the chilled tile.

Was it actually... backing away? Confidence that seemingly came from nowhere blossomed in the Finn's chest. He took another step, then before he knew it three. Tino was gradually leaving the small pool of flickering light. And also the false sense of security it held. His amethyst eyes sharpened slightly, "You said you'd kill my father. So why not kill me?"

His voice merely echoed flatly in response. Softly, he could still hear the beast's deep breaths. Tino let out an agitated sigh, and took quick, sharp steps – the distance between the two slimming considerably. Deep cobalt eyes, flecked with speckles of green shimmered in the darkness in front of him, illuminated by the slight candlelight. They didn't really seem like the eyes of some feral monster. No... they were human. Tino could read just a handful of emotions held in their depths: confusion, anger, sadness, and surprisingly, fear.

_Fear_? How could someone, no _anything_, be afraid of Tino Väinämöinen? It was literally unthinkable, no, _impossible_. Tino's violet gaze melded with the sea green.

The beast blinked and let out a low whimpering sound, similar to a dog's whine. His eyes fell quickly to the floor. "Go away." he growled softly after a moment, paws scrabbling lightly on the floor as he attempted to push himself further into the shadows.

Tino blinked, feeling completely confused. "... I came here in place of my father." he spoke carefully, almost reminding himself more than the beast. "What do you want with me?"

"... 'm not goin' t' kill y'..." the beast spoke in a small rumble, curled snugly against the stone wall.

The Finn's brow furrowed, his eyes beginning to look lost. "But.. I thought..."

"Y'll stay here." the next sentence the monster spoke was rash, daring. The words of someone who had lacked real human contact for a very long time. Someone who above all, was just lonely.

"_What?_" Amethyst eyes widened in shock and he found himself backing up.

"Yer m'... guest now." the beast grunted, "Y'll stay here."

Tino couldn't think of something he'd want even less. He quickly shook his head in protest, "I don't want to stay here. Just.. just let me go."

Silence.

A loud crack sounded as the monster slammed his cruel clawed fist against the tile. Cracks danced across the floor and towards Tino's small feet. "They'll show y' t' yer room." he spoke in a dangerously calm tone, deep voice quivering ever so slightly as he attempted to remain in control.

".. Who?" the Finn questioned, shrinking slightly after the loud blast. His voice cracked. There was no one around, not even any footsteps in the distance.

He was unsurprisingly ignored. "Yer free t' roam th' castle. Jus'... just stay out 'f th' west wing." the beast said lowly, sounding almost unsure of himself. He leapt inhumanly, to the gleaming banister of the staircase – claws tearing through the shiny wood like soft butter as he dashed up the stairs. The castle was so dark that Tino could only see a swish of ebony cloak and the end of a very furry tail before the beast vanished.

The Finn stood there. And stood some more. What in the world was he supposed to do now? No... what was the _beast _expecting him to do? Was he just going to rot in some damp, musty cell for the rest of his life? Yeah, right! He had come here planning to save his father, and now everything was just thrown up into the air. He didn't know what would come down and hit him smartly on the head next.

Outside, Tino could barely hear the whirl of falling snow. The storm seemed to have returned. The Finn closed his eyes tightly shut and thought hard, harder than he had ever thought before – trying to scheme up any way out of this miserable situation.

Suddenly, it dawned upon him. What was possibly keeping him here? The door distinctly remained very unlocked, Tino couldn't recall hearing any clicks signifying that it was barred shut. The blizzard was growing steadily worse from how the wind had begun to howl creepily. But... it would be fine, wouldn't it? He could make it to Kollola in time and maybe him and Usko could move as soon as he got back to town. Simple as that! His father could still make plenty of money in the main town and best of all... they'd be _safe_. Tino found his pale, numb hand stretching towards the doorknob. The very split second his skin brushed the metal a voice sounded directly behind him, "Y'know... I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Tino gasped sharply and spun where he stood, whirling to face the stranger. A tall, stocky man stood in front of him. He didn't look very old at all – especially with his bright sky blue eyes and messy, mussed blonde hair. He spoke with a thick Danish accent and he definitely wasn't a 'monster'. What was going on?

The man rolled his eyes and continued to speak dryly as Tino remained aghast. "Yeah, the master wouldn't like that one bit. He told you to stay, didn't he?"

Tino's rosy lips twisted into a frown and his fingers curling around the door handle. ".. Who are you?"

A long sigh. "The name's Mathias, okay? I'm stuck working in this godforsaken hellhole." he paused, before a wide, sly smile spread across his face. "And guess what, beautiful. Now you're stuck too."

"Nothing's keeping me here." the Finn retorted smoothly, albeit a bit nervously.

"Oh yeah?" Mathias arched an eyebrow, his grin widening devilishly. "What am I then?"

"You can't stop me." Tino replied in a quiet voice, trying to tell himself exactly the same thing.

"Aw, come on." the man began to whine. "It's already been a really long day and I seriously don't want to have to force you back inside or something. C'mon!"

The smaller blonde rolled his eyes and began to pull open the door anyways. Unfortunately, it was much, much heavier than he had remembered. The bottom of the wood door scraped harshly on the hard floor, providing more resistance.

"What, seriously?" Mathias threw his hands in the air in exasperation. "You're supposed to listen to me!"

Tino doubled his efforts on getting the door open wide enough for slip into the cold night air. He was growing frantic, not knowing whether the man beside him was one who really would resort to force.

"You're really just going to let him stroll out the front door, Mathias?" this voice that spoke next was so splintering and ice cold it chilled Tino's spine making him utterly motionless.

"H-hey, Lukas..!" Mathias stammered, forcing a grin. "I was just about to grab him, so don't worry!" the Dane rubbed the back of his head nervously.

Lukas narrowed his dark indigo eyes and scowled. "You're an idiot." he said flatly before directing his attention towards Tino. "Oi! Get back in here." the moment he spoke the wooden door began to slowly creak shut of its own accord.

"Well, the castle actually listens to you.." Mathias grumbled under his breath, a small pout gracing his lips.

But most of all, Tino was stuck. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Wow I'm actually updating. I guess that's what a Sunday does to ya. I find getting ideas for these stories slightly difficult - when I first originally started them I was roleplaying as Sweden all the time, heh. And alas, now, I do no roleplaying whatsoever. I still hope to update all my stories though. Reviews are appreciated. **

Tino drew his dark cloak around him more tightly and shivered, more from fear than cold. "L-look..!" he forced his voice to sound somewhat stern. "What is with you people?"

"Huh?" Mathias' grin slackened as he turned away from Lukas beside him. "What're you talking about?" Judging from his dumbfounded expression, he was honestly confused.

"Do you have some kind of grudge against my father?" his violet eyes flicked frantically between the pair. " What is it you want? Money?"

The Dane laughed loudly and nudged Lukas with his elbow. "Ahaha...! He thinks we want money! That's hilarious, Luke, you gotta adm-"

Lukas cut him off with a punch to his stomach. Mathias broke off into a coughing fit. "Shut up, idiot." he glared darkly at Tino, indigo eyes glinting dangerously. "No, we don't want any of your money. We just listen to what our master says."

"I haven't done anything wrong." Tino insisted with a small huff, sniffling a bit due to the chill of the room. The tip of his slender nose was growing pink.

The taller of the servants recovered and wiped some sort of moisture from his eyes – either from laughing too much, or the effects of being punched. "Yeah, yeah. I've heard that sob story before." he crossed his arms and his cobalt eyes focused nervously on Lukas before he continued to speak, "Ol' Berwald wouldn't want you to freeze to death down here, and I know you must be freezing because my balls ar-"

Lukas shot him a pointed look and raised a slim eyebrow. Mathias broke off with a forced chuckle before continuing, "Anyways..! L-let's get you to your room, okay?"

The Finn let out a deep sigh, his eyes flickering shut momentarily. "Fine." _I'm going to figure this whole mess out. I just have to cooperate – for now. _

The Dane looked relieved and beamed, sauntering forward and throwing his arm around Tino's small shoulders. "Greaaat. We can get down to business then." he led him to the stairs and began ascending them. "Looks like Eirik is going to have his work cut out for him." he muttered with a small smirk, eying the splintered railings.

"Maybe you should help him." Lukas spoke up, behind the pair. His eyes were still narrowed – similar to a viper's.

"What? No.. I'm pretty sure I'm um.. busy tonight."

"You. Busy." he repeated dully, tone extremely sarcastic. "What exactly is it you're going to be busy with?"

"I'm going to be busy with _you _if you get my drift, that is." Mathias shot him a wink over his broad shoulder and grinned cockily.

Tino's face flushed and he quickly kept his eyes focused on the staircase, having been stunned into silence. He knew he was supposedly a 'guest' here, but at the moment he felt like he was intruding on something he'd love nothing more than to get away from.

Lukas snorted loudly. "I think you mean you're spending the night with your hand, because I was planning on helping Eirik."

Mathias spluttered for several long and admittedly agonizing seconds before giving up. "Whatever.." he mumbled.

* * *

><p>A lavish and crimson red carpet embroidered with designs of lions and other wild animals was spread across the entire hallway. It looked so complicated and intricate that Tino wasn't totally sure if he was supposed to be walking on it or not. Mathias led him down the massive hall, a grimace carved into his face. Eventually, they stopped at a wood door. Tino found himself gaping at it – tiny lions were carved into the oak, peering out amongst trees in a large forest. He imagined it must have taken <em>years <em>to do this, but even then.. was work like this capable from a human?

The Dane let out a sigh that sounded more bored now and turned the metal knob. "This is your room and stuff. You can walk around, but like he said – don't go into the West Wing. It's real, real off-limits, kay?" He shoved his hands deeply into his pockets. "Someone'll come get you for breakfast tomorrow morning."

Tino nodded tersely and stepped into the room. This bedroom was different, but still extremely ornate. The bedspread was a royal blue and rich gold – embroidered not unlike the carpet in the hall. He didn't understand how some beast was capable of affording all this. It didn't seem plausible. A shaky sigh escaped his mouth as he slid the cloak from his shoulders. His eyelids were suddenly extremely heavy with sleep and he let out a thick yawn.

_I guess.. I guess if I'm going to try and escape I better at least be rested. Breakfast couldn't hurt, could it?_The Finn figured maybe he could lull them into a false sense of security anyways. It wasn't as if he'd end up getting attached to anything here. He climbed into the bed and nearly fell asleep right then and there. It was literally the softest, plushiest bed he had ever sunk into. His soft lashes fluttered shut, and Tino's face calmed just slightly as he left consciousness.

* * *

><p>A bright, harsh light filtered through the curtains and directly onto Tino's slumbering face. His face scrunched together in discomfort before he forced himself up into a sitting position. Rubbing his violet eyes, he smacked his lips. Gross. His mouth felt all sticky. How long had he slept? The Finn was reluctant to get out of such a comfortable bed, but he reluctantly slid off the bed nonetheless. A set of beautiful garments were laid out on the nightstand – the same colors as his room.<p>

They were amazing, but it also filled Tino with a sense of unease. Had someone come into his room in the middle of the night? He knew he had shut the door, he was sure of it. Perhaps they were just here when he came in and he missed them. Yeah, that had to be it... The clothes he had on currently were a little shabby and smelled stale – he couldn't blame himself for sweating. Generally seeing a monster did that to you.

Still, Tino wondered. _Why was he backing away from me? The way Dad described him was.. different. He definitely seemed dangerous but... also something else. Something human._

As the Finn pulled on his new clothes, a rhythmic knock sounded at his door. "Hey..! Wakey-wakey!" an obnoxious voice filtered through the wood. "Berwald's waiting for you and he's getting pretty pissed. I'd hurry if I were you."

_That's right.. I heard them talking about Berwald. He's the beast then? Or master, I guess... _Tino thought to himself as he answered the door.

Mathias raised and eyebrow and smirked pointedly at Tino's sleep-ruffled hair. "That's how you wanted your hair to look? Alright, whatever you like, I guess."

The Finn's violet eyes widened in embarrassment and he tried to double back into his room to fix it, but Mathias had already linked arms with him. "C'mon, I told you he's getting pissy. There's no time!" Next thing, he was being practically dragged down the set of stairs and barely managed to keep his footing.

"I can walk, just so you know.." Tino grumbled, rubbing one of his eyes again.

"Yeah, I know. Most people can." the Dane flashed him a shit-eating grin and tugged harder.

"H-hey..! It's just breakfast, okay?" the Finn attempted to resist, but it was pretty much a lost cause. "I'm sure he won't care if I get their thirty seconds later?"

"Wow, you really don't know Berwald at all." the taller man noted with a loud laugh. "Besides, we're almost there!"

The pair entered the dining room. The first thing Tino noticed was the fact that the table was about a mile long. It had place seatings set out for about a hundred people, but the only.. thing sat at a table was in a cloak at the very end. He could distinctly see a tail swishing softly on the carpet underneath the table.

"He wants you to sit by him." Mathias said bluntly. "I know young people have raging hormones and everything, but try and be good, okay?" He released the Finn and gave a small, encouraging push.

Tino shot him an annoyed glare before beginning to shuffle nervously forward. There were no windows in the large dining room, and the only source of light was the massive fireplace directly behind the cloaked figure. It cast them into shadows, leaving Tino with an ominous feeling. "Hello?" he err.. squeaked once within several feet of the person.

"... C'me sit by m'." Berwald spoke after a long moment. He gestured to the seat to the right of him with a clawed hand. The cloak shrouded most of his face, leaving it mysteriously black. The one thing that pierced through was his icy eyes.

"A-alright.." Tino replied, his hands shaking as he pulled out the chair and sunk into it. Admittedly, the quivering didn't stop once he had sat down.

The beast tilted his head slightly, merely staring at the Finn. "... D'.. Did y' like y'r room?" he asked, again sounding unsure.

Tino nodded quickly. Displeasing whoever- or whatever Berwald was was not on his list. "Yes, very much." he paused, before asking, "Who.. who carved the door?"  
>Berwald's massive shoulders shrugged, not offering any explanation.<p>

"Oh. Alright." amethyst orbs fell onto his empty plate, just to have something to look at.

Several minutes had to have passed before Berwald managed to speak again – almost hesitantly. "Are.. 're y' warm 'nough?" the blue eyes blinked expectantly, waiting for an answer.

"Huh? O-oh, of course..! There's a fireplace and all.." Tino laughed nervously and mentally slapped himself for doing so.

The beast nodded slightly, seemingly content with that answer. "Wh't do y' w'nt t' eat?"

The Finn blinked in surprise. "Um.. a-anything's good. Really, I'm fine.." he stammered slightly, twiddling his thumbs.

Were beasts supposed to be accommodating?


	5. Chapter 5

**Yay, an updaaaate! :D Sorry it took a few days. I'm planning on taking turns updating each of my stories, so back to Savior of Sweden and Senior Year. (: As always you reviewers are awesome and I hope all you readers are still here and eager for more!**

A snowy-haired, violet eyed male placed two bowls of steaming porridge in front of the duo from an incredibly detailed silver serving tray. Tino couldn't help but notice that his white skin paled even further when he set down the beast's bowl and scurried out of the room as quick as possible after a timid bow. What sort of influence did Berwald have on his servants? Whatever it was, it couldn't be good. Another thought surfaced in his mind – what exactly was being hidden in the West Wing.. and why wasn't he allowed to see it? He made a mental note to check it out, whenever possible, and whenever his life wouldn't be in danger from doing so.

The Finn's train of thought came to a crashing halt when the mouth-watering smell of the porridge filled his senses. Okay, wow. If it tasted as good as it smelled... just maaaaybe he wouldn't mind at least going to the meals here. But just maybe. The hot cereal was topped with melting brown sugar, cream, and bright red raspberries.

Berwald merely stared quizzically. He vaguely remembered that it was impolite to take the first bite before your guests, and Tino seemed to be taking an awful long time. Who stared at their food for that long, especially at breakfast? "... 'S s'methin' wr'ng?"

"... Huh? Oh!" the Finn blushed slightly, his eyes quickly averting back down to the table after meeting Berwald's icy ones. He had kinda zoned out into space. What a second first impression. "Sorry."

"D'ya not l'ke porridge?"

"No, no. This is fine, honestly." Tino forced an apologetic smile, even though he really didn't want to be polite to someone who was holding him captive. Ah, well... grin and bear it! He tentatively scooped up the dainty silver spoon and brought a spoonful to his mouth.

… Okay, this was just unfair. His father had made porridge countless times, but it had never tasted so... so _good_. He let out an unintentional contented sigh, sending the beast's heart fluttering. Berwald figured it was his turn, so he lowered his muzzle towards the steaming bowl and began to lap it up. He froze when Tino let out an amused snort but obviously tried to cover it with a cough.

Berwald sat up, feeling a twinge of shame. Perhaps he had been living in solitude a bit too long. A bit of porridge slid off of some of his whiskers and plopped onto the table, emphasizing the drawn out silence. "I.. I err h'ven' had 's'meone in th' castl' f'r awhile.." he grumbled lowly, placing his paws over his muzzle in embarrassment.

It was at this moment that Tino decided Berwald distinctly resembled a lion, especially with his long dirty blond mane. The only difference was his body, which seemed more powerful, thick-set, and almost.. human-like. The Finn couldn't help but beam in amusement. "It's alright, I don't mind." he shrugged his shoulders, "I think we've all been that hungry before." he added with a laugh.

The beast's ears twitched slightly in bewilderment, a confused growl rumbling slightly in his chest. This wasn't going horribly but it also wasn't going perfectly either. But hey, he'd take a happy medium. "Guess so.." Plus.. he wouldn't mind embarrassing himself all the time if he meant he could see Tino smile like that again.

Silence returned as Tino continued pleasantly eating his porridge. He noticed that the beast wasn't even attempting to eat any longer and raised an eyebrow, "Ahaha.. eat how you want, who am I to judge?" He paused, an idea springing up. "Ah! Here, I got it.." The Finn picked up his own bowl and imitated what Berwald had done before, although managing not to get any on his nose.

The beast's head tilted slightly, seemingly confused. _What..? _Was Tino actually trying to make _him, _the host, feel better? A tiny seed of hope was planted within Berwald's chest, maybe he really could break this curse. He just hoped he had enough time left...

* * *

><p>Mathias sighed as he picked up the breakfast dishes from the table, the room having been long since vacated. How in the world had they managed to get so much porridge on the table? He shook his head and sighed. Maybe he'd pretend to get a splinter from the table so Lukas would wipe it off for him.<p>

Being stuck in this castle was pure torture, any of the servants knew that as well as he did. Everything gathered dust, the floor creaked, the roof leaked.. but how were they supposed to fix that when they couldn't go outside? What worried him even more was.. Berwald's 'time limit'. He didn't know the specifics, but his master only had so long to reverse the curse. What.. what would happen to the rest of his servants when he ran out of time? Would they all perish along with him? Life really liked to screw with him, didn't it.

"You look more serious than usual." Lukas noted with a raised brow, making Mathias jump and look up from his sinkful of dishes.

"Just thinking, no biggie." he laughed, forcing a grin as he scrubbed at a particularly stubborn scuff on a piece of silver.

Lukas sighed deeply, resting his head on Mathias shoulder. It was silent for a long moment before he spoke up again, "I'm sorry about what I said to you in front of the latest idiot."

Mathias' eyes widened slightly in surprise, the Norwegian wasn't one to just go around apologizing to everyone. He was going to take a mental snapshot of this memory and.. maybe rub it in his face a few years later. "Hm? Nahhh.. don't worry about it. I doubt the kid will last long anyways." He smiled and pressed his lips gently to the shorter's temple.

Lukas straightened and folded his arms, "How's.. how's it healing?" he questioned, a bit of calculating concern surfacing in his indigo eyes.

The Dane stiffened a tad before snorting and ruffling Lukas' hair with his free hand, "It's fine, don't worry about it."

"Really, you have to learn to control yourself sometimes. I know it's hard being stuck here.. but it's better than being dead, got it?"

"Yeah, yeah.. I got it." Disagreeing with Lukas would probably bring a swifter death to Mathias anyways. "I promise to be good." he added in a mock-baby voice, fluttering his lashes.

"Good."


End file.
